Subject: rec.food.cooking Commonly Discussed Topics
From: [email-masked] (Stephanie da Silva)
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 22:47:03 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking,rec.food.recipes,rec.answers,news.answers

Archive-name: cooking/common-topics
Last-change: 25 January 1995 by [email-masked] (Stephanie da Silva)
Posting-Frequency: monthly

This file is copyrighted 1995 by Stephanie da Silva ([email-masked]).
It may be redistributed provided it is done so in its entirety (including
headers), and with this copyright notice left intact.

This is a list of commonly discussed topics on rec.food.cooking.  Please
note that this is not saying that you shouldn't bring up these threads.
It's just acknowledging that these topics do come up a lot.  If you post 
about them you might not generate any additional discussion, or your post
may spark a thread that continues for weeks.

If you have ftp access, try looking in the rec.food.recipes archives 
before requesting a recipe.  They are accessible via anonymous ftp from 
ftp.neosoft.com.  Some recipes are so popular, there are literally dozens 
of recipes for them in the archives.  Recipes are in the directory 
/pub/rec.food.recipes.  If you don't know how to use ftp, the ftp FAQ is 
posted monthly to news.newusers.questions.  
For WWW users, the URL is ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/rec.food.recipes/

Recipes listed in this FAQ are only an example of the type of food described, 
and are by no means the final word on the subject.

Before posting, consider if rec.food.cooking is the correct newsgroup 
for your article.  It is a high volume newsgroup, and your question might 
be better answered on one of the smaller, more focused newsgroups.  For 
example, a request for making ginger ale might be more appropriate for 
rec.crafts.brewing and one for curing olives might be better answered on 
rec.food.preserving or rec.food.historic.

Here is an incomplete list of food related newsgroups:
rec.food.drink
rec.food.drink.beer
rec.food.drink.coffee
rec.food.historic
rec.food.preserving
rec.food.recipes (moderated)
rec.food.restaurants
rec.food.sourdough
rec.food.veg
rec.food.veg.cooking (moderated)
rec.crafts.brewing
rec.crafts.winemaking
sci.med.nutrition
alt.food.chocolate
alt.food.fat-free

This file is archived at rtfm.mit.edu along with the rec.food.cooking FAQ 
and conversion file in the directory /pub/usenet-by-group/rec.food.cooking.

Aluminum Cookware
	Aluminum cookware has not been linked to Alzheimer's.  The original 
	study that suggested this was found to have had faulty data.

Animal Rights
	Comes up usually in reference to steaming live lobsters.  Sometimes 
	it's about the ethics of eating dogs, or park-dwelling squirrels or
	pigeons.  While these topics do bear relevance to cooking, there are 
	better newsgroups for discussing them, like talk.politics.animals.

Appliances
	Bread machines 
	Crock pots
	Microwaves 

Australia/New Zealand foods  
	Vegemite is yeast extract, very salty and an acquired taste. 
	It's similar to Marmite.  It may be spread very thinly on toast
	or used to flavour soups. 

	A scone (rhymes with "gone") is similar to an American biscuit, 
	but comes in more variations.  It may include ingredients such as 
	cheese or raisins and is often served with hot tea, whipped cream 
	and jam.

	Scones

	Measure 2 cups self-rising flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Rub in 
	2 tablespoons butter.  Mix lightly to soft dough with 3/4 cup milk.
	Handle minimally to a slab 3/4" thick and cut into shape on floured 
	board.  Glaze with milk.  Place close together on greased and 
	floured tray.  Bake in a hot (400F) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

	Depending on who you talk to, Pavlova was created in either New
	Zealand or Australia.  :-)  It is a sweet meringue based dessert,
	filled with whipped cream and tropical fruits.

	Pavlova
 
	4 egg whites 		3 tablespoons cold water
	1 teaspoon vinegar 	1 cup castor sugar (superfine sugar)
	1 teaspoon vanilla essence (extract)
	3 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)

	Beat egg whites until very stiff, add cold water and beat again.  
	Add castor sugar very gradually while still beating.  Slow beater 
	and add vinegar, vanilla and cornflour.  Place on greased paper on 
	a greased tray and bake at 150C (300F) for 45 minutes then leave to 
	cool in the oven.

	For serving top with whipped cream and fresh fruit.  Try kiwifruit, 
	strawberries, bananas, and passionfruit.

Avocadoes/Guacamole
	Guacamole is basically mashed avocado with a little fresh lime 
	juice squeezed in.  No mayonnaise, no sour cream.  A bit of
	diced tomato and onion is allowed, and a smidgen of chopped
	chiles and fresh cilantro if you prefer.  The pit has no magical 
	properties to keep the guacamole from browning; it just prevents 
	air from contacting the surface.  A lightbulb would perform the 
	same function.  Plastic wrap is more practical.

Baking powder vs. Baking soda

Baklava
	Baklava 

	3 ounces blanched almonds, chopped 	3 ounces walnuts, chopped
	1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 		1/2 teaspoon allspice
	1/4 pint clear honey 			1 package phyllo dough
	3/4 ounce butter, melted 		juice of 1/2 lemon

	Preheat oven to 400 F.
	Mix the almonds and walnuts with cinnamon, allspice and
	two fluid ounces of the honey.  Line an 8" square pan with foil.  Cut 
	four layers of the dough to fit in the 8" square pan.  Place one layer 
	of dough in the pan and brush with a little butter.  Cover with 
	another layer of dough, then spread with the nut filling.  Cover with 
	the third layer of dough and brush it with butter.  Cover with the 
	fourth layer of dough and brush it with butter, then cut through the 
	top two layers to mark out four squares.  Cut each in half again to 
	make triangles.  Bake for 25 minutes.

	Meanwhile mix the lemon juice with the remaining honey, adding enough 
	water to make the mixture 1/4 pint.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 
	minutes.  Spoon over the hot baklava while it's still in the pan and
	leave to soak for 2 hours before removing from the pan to cut and serve.

Barbecue
	Fajitas
	Origin of the word "barbecue"
	Regional variations (Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee)

Biscotti
	Biscotti 
 
	6 oz blanched whole almonds 	2 1/2 cups flour 
	2 cups sugar 			1/4 teaspoon salt 
	1/4 teaspoon baking soda 	3 eggs
 
	For Orange Biscotti
	Zest from 1 orange, grated 	1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
 
	For Anise Biscotti
	2 to 3 teaspoon crushed anise seeds
 
	For Lemon Biscotti
	Zest from 1 lemon, grated 
 
	Preheat oven to 350F.  Spread almonds on baking sheet and toast until
	lightly golden.  Coarsely chop half of the almonds, leaving the others
	whole.  Grease 2 large baking sheets.
 
	Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking soda together beat in the eggs, 
	then the almonds.  Knead the dough briefly, then divide it into 4 
	pieces.  Roll each piece into a cylinder 15 inches long and 1.5 
	inches wide.  Place 2 rolls each sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  
 
	Carefully transfer the rolls to a cutting board and slice each
	diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Set wire racks on baking 
	sheets and lay the biscotti on them.  Bake 20 to 30 minutes.

Black Beans
	Also known as turtle beans and common to Mexican cooking.  These are 
	not the same as Chinese black beans, which are fermented, salted 
	black soybeans or dow see. 

Black Cow
	A lot of people can't seem to agree on what this is, but it most
	likely involves root beer, chocolate or vanilla ice cream and 
	chocolate syrup combined into an ice cream soda.

Bisquick
	An American baking mix.  Used for making pancakes, American
	style biscuits, waffles, and general baking.

	Biscuit Mix (Bisquick)

	4 cups flour 		2/3 cup instant non fat dry milk
	1 teaspoon salt		3 tablespoons baking powder
	1/2 cup vegetable oil

	Mix flour, milk, salt and baking powder together in blender or 
	food processor.  Mix well, then blend in the oil.  Empty into 
	covered container, and store in fridge until needed.

Buffalo wings
	Buffalo wings

	12 chicken wings 	3 cups oil for deep frying
	4 ounces bottle of Louisiana hot sauce
	4 ounces butter
	celery sticks 		Bleu cheese dressing 

	Cut the wings at the joints, discard the wing tips.  Fry the wings 
	in the oil until crisp.  In a pan large enough to hold the fried 
	chicken wings, melt the butter and add the bottle of hot sauce, 
	then add the pre-fried wings.  Stir to coat the wings and serve 
	while still warm.

Bugs

Bulgogi
	A Korean marinated and barbecued beef dish.  Spelling of the name
	varies (due to transliteration).

	Bulgogi

	1 pound flank steak, sliced thin against the grain
	1/4 cup light soy sauce 	3 tablespoons sugar
	2 tablespoons sesame oil 	1/4 teaspoon white pepper
	3 green onions, chopped 	2 (or more) cloves garlic, crushed

	Combine all ingredients except beef in a large bowl.  Stir well.  
	Add beef slices, and marinate several hours.  Stir-fry, broil or 
	grill marinated beef slices. 

Caesar Salad
	There are purists who feel that Ceasar salad isn't Caesar salad
	unless assembled in an elaborate tableside ritual.  Then there 
	are those who just want a simple dressing to drizzle over lettuce. 
	Here's one recipe of each.

	Caesar Salad     

	Prepare a serving cart or tray  with a large wooden salad bowl with 
	1 teaspoon salt and 2 or 3 split garlic cloves and a glass bowl of 
	chilled torn romaine lettuce (about 1 lb.).

	In 6 small bowls, place:

	6 tablespoons olive oil
	2 tablespoons wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 
	  teaspoon worchestershire sauce
	4 minced anchovy filets 
	1 teaspoon dry mustard, and 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan 
	  cheese
	24 small croutons (bread cubes browned in butter, flavored with a 
	  garlic clove)
	1 fresh whole egg

	Before starting, cover the egg with very hot water.  The five minutes 
	it takes to mix the salad will properly coddle the egg.

	Crush the garlic in the salt over the inside of the bowl.  Remove the 
	garlic, but leave the salt.  Add the oil and whisk vigorously.  Whisk 
	in the vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire, anchovies, mustard and 
	cheese.  Add the lettuce, grind some black pepper over it and toss. 
	Add the croutons and then break the coddled egg over the lettuce. 
	Toss gently.  "Don't soak the bread" is the key phrase.  Place a 
	generous helping on each salad plate.  

	Caesar Dressing (eggless and anchovyless, for the faint-of-heart)

	4 cloves garlic, minced 	3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
	1/2 cup olive oil 		1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce 
	1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 	1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
	1/2 teaspoon salt 		1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

	Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Cast Iron Skillets/Woks
	Removing rust
	Seasoning

Cheesecake
	Variations upon variations of a theme.  A number of cheesecake
	bakers are concerned about the top cracking.  Some suggestions to 
	avoid this include baking at a lower temperature, putting a pan of 
	water in the oven while baking, and/or turning off the oven after 
	baking and leaving the cake in for 2 hours with the door slightly 
	ajar.  If all else fails, use a topping to disguise the cracks.

	Here is a basic recipe.

	Blue Ribbon Cheesecake

	1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
	1 butter, melted 	3 tablespoons sugar
	3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temp
	1 cup sugar 		3 eggs, room temp
	1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
	1/8 teaspoon orange extract
	Grated orange peel for garnish

	Combine crumbs, butter and sugar.  Press mixture evenly onto bottom 
	and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
	Preheat oven to 450F.  Beat together cream cheese and sugar until 
	light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each 
	addition.  Blend in butter and orange extract.  Turn mixture into 
	pan and bake 15 minutes.  Cool.
	Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving.  Remove sides of pan.
	Garnish with grated orange peel.  Serve chilled.

Chiles
	The substance in chiles that makes them spicy is called capsaicin.
	It is concentrated in the veins of the fruit (not the seeds) and 
	stimulates the nerve endings in your mouth, fooling your brain into 
	thinking you're in pain.  The brain responds by releasing substances 
	called enkephalins, which are similiar in structure to morphine.  A 
	mild euphoria results, and chiles can be mildly addictive because of 
	this hot pepper "high".

	Chile hotness is rated in Scoville units.  The hottest pepper on
	record is the habanero/Scotch bonnet which some claim are the same
	pepper and others claim are slightly different varieties.  Habaneros
	are rated at 200,000 to 250,000 Scoville units.  By contrast, the
	lowly serrano comes in at about 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units.

	The word "chile" is spelled differently in different countries, so
	you may see people spell it as "chilie," or even "chilli".

	The Chile-Heads list is intended to provide a forum for discussion 
	of matters relating to chile peppers.
	You may subscribe to the list by sending a one line message 
	containing the command SUBSCRIBE to the listserv address:
	[email-masked]

Chili

Chocolate Chip Cookies
	Original Tollhouse Cookies

	3/4 cup sugar 		3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
	1 cup butter 		1 teaspoon vanilla
	2 eggs 			2 1/4 cups flour  
	1 teaspoon salt 	1 teaspoon baking soda
	12 oz chocolate chips 	1 cup chopped nuts

	Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar.  Add vanilla and eggs, mix well.
	Mix together dry ingredients, slowly add to sugar, butter mixture.
	fold in chocolate chips, walnuts.  Drop in rounded teaspoonfuls
	on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes.  

Cookbooks/Cookbook authors/Cooking shows
	Some people appear to derive a great deal of pleasure from bashing 
	certain cookbook authors, most notably the Frugal Gourmet.  

Cooking Unit Conversions 
	A world-wide newsgroup with readers from many countries brings out 
	several conflicting conventions for measurement.  If you believe in 
	the old adage "A pint's a pound the world around," I suggest you 
	test it out with flour.  Amy Gale ([email-masked]) posts a FAQ 
	to rec.food.cooking every month on the 10th that contains a number
	of useful conversions.  It's archived at rtfm.mit.edu in the directory 
	/pub/usenet-by-group/rec.food.cooking.

Copyright
	One cannot copyright a recipe.  One can copyright the words used
	to describe it, so if you type in a recipe verbatim, you may be
	violating someone's copyright.  To be courteous, change the wording,
	alter a few ingredients in the recipe and credit the original source.

Cutting Boards
	Plastic vs. wood
	Seasoning

Dehydrators/Jet Stream Ovens 
	Sun Dried Tomatoes

Dolphinfish
	There are two kinds of dolphin.  One is a mammal in the Order
	Cetacea, aka Flipper.  The other is a firm-fleshed fish, called 
	mahi-mahi (in the Pacific?) or dorado (in the Atlantic/Gulf of 
	Mexico?).  It is the latter that people speak of when they talk 
	about eating dolphin, so please don't flame them for it.

Falafel
	Some cooks have a lot of problem with their falafel falling apart.
	Unfortunately, I don't have a fix for this (yet).

	Falafel

	8 ounces chick peas 	3 tablespoons cracked wheat 
	3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon cumin
	2 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
	2 tablespoons flour 	1 teaspoon salt
	1/4 teaspoon white pepper

	Soak chick peas in water for 8 hours. Drain and grind.  Soak 
	Wheatmeal or substitute in water for 2 hours. Drain and grind.
	Mix all ingredients together.  Form balls about 3/4 inch diameter.
	Deep fry until golden brown (best fried in a net or a deep fryer).
	Serve in/with pita bread, tomatoes-cucumbers-parsley-lemon juice 
	salad, hummus, tahini sauce.

Fast Food 
	Fast Food bashing
	Secret Sauce

FAQ
	An acronym for Frequently Asked/Answered Questions.  What this
	file is all about.
	
Food Myths
	The [natural product] is better than [refined product] myth.  In 
	reality, there is no nutritional difference.  So far, we've seen 
        this comparison made wrt honey/refined sugar and sea salt/salt.
	However, there is at least one exception to this in that whole
	wheat flour is more nutrional than bleached white flour.

	Mayo in potato salad

	The alcohol evaporates out during cooking.  In actuality, more
	of the alcohol remains behind than previously thought.  Shankar
	Bhattacharyya (a chemist who reads rfc) performed an experiment
	and discovered in some cases as much as 50%+ of the alcohol
	remained after cooking some dishes.  Caution is advised for those
	who need to restrict their intake of alcohol, as more is left 
	behind than just the flavour.

	The $250 Cookie.  The story goes that a woman ate at a cafe, liked 
	a cookie, requested the recipe, was told it would cost "two-fifty,"  
	was dismayed to find out she was charged $250 on her credit card 
	and now is seeking revenge by passing around the recipe.  People 
	swear that it happened to a "friend of a friend."  It is totally
	bogus.  The current version blames Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas; 
	previous versions have been about Mrs. Fields, Famous Amos and the 
	Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City (the Waldorf Astoria version 
	involved not a cookie, but a red velvet cake and dates back at least
	sixty years).

	**** It is strongly recommended that you do not post the story as 
	many people will respond with lots of nasty flames. **** 

	Check the alt.folklore.urban FAQ for further information.  No one 
	knows the origin of the recipe (it is not one of Mrs. Fields') but 
	it allegedly is pretty good.

	$250 Urban Legend Chocolate Chip Cookies

	2 cups butter           5 cups oatmeal
	2 cups sugar            1 tsp salt
	2 cups brown sugar      2 tsp baking powder 
	4 eggs                  2 tsp baking soda
	2 teaspoons vanilla 	24 ounces chocolate chips
	4 cups flour            1 8-ounce Hershey Bar, grated

	Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.  Cream 
	butter, add both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix together with 
	flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Add chips 
	and candy bar.  Roll into a ball shape and place 2 inches apart on 
	a cookie sheet.  Bake at 375F for 6 to 10 minutes.  

Food Poisoning 
	Warm weather invariably brings on a spate of posters wanting to 
	warn others about food poisoning.  The problem is when they do 
	so, they tend to go about it in a most sensationalistic manner
	(and ironically enough, sometimes offer misinformation themselves).
	It is with a weary sigh that I say, "Yes, we know about these 
	matters already."  Food poisoning is a common sense thing, really.  
	Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.  It is the change in 
	temperature that encourages bacterial growth.  Don't reheat cooled 
	dishes or refreeze thawed ones.  Avoid cross-contamination, 
	especially with meats.  Wash utensils and hands thoroughly before 
	and after preparing each dish.  Keep dishes covered at all times.  
	When in doubt, throw it out, tho bringing the food to a rapid boil 
	for 10 minutes will be enough to kill any bacteria that may be 
	present.  While boiling will denature some toxins (like the botulism
	toxin), it won't affect others such as the toxin produced by staph 
	bacteria.

	There are a couple of hot topics that merit being individually 
	addressed.  In some areas of the United States (the Northeast
	especially), there have been reports of whole, raw eggs that
	have been contaminated with Salmonella.  If you feel you are at 
	risk, then a couple options would be to either cook your eggs 
	until well-done or to use a commerically available pasteurized 
	egg product in your cooking.

	The other item is garlic in oil.  Storing garlic in oil produces
	a low acid, anerobic environment, making it an ideal place for 
	the botulism bacteria to flourish.  Botulism poisoning is rare, 
	but is very dangerous and can be fatal.  To prevent this, marinate
	the garlic in vinegar or lemon juice before adding it to the oil.

French Silk Pie
	Butter is recommended for this pie.  If you substitute margarine, 
	it will not turn out.  It also helps if all the ingredients and 
	bowls/beaters are chilled.

	French Silk Pie

	1 cup sugar 			3/4 cup butter 
	1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 	3 eggs
	3 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
	1 9-inch baked pastry shell

	In a small mixer bowl, cream sugar and butter about 4 minutes 
	until fluffy.  Stir in cooled chocolate and vanilla.  Add eggs, 
	one at a time, beating on medium speed of electric mixer after 
	each addition and scraping sides of bowl constantly (beating a
	full five minutes after each egg is recommended).  Turn into a 
	baked pastry shell.  Chill several hours or overnight till set.  
	Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls, if desired.  

Fried Green Tomatoes
	Fried Green Tomatoes

	Firm green tomatoes, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
	1 1/2 cups corn meal  
	1 1/2 tablespoons salt
	1 tablespoon pepper
	Cooking oil

	Pour cornmeal, salt, pepper (and garlic) in a plastic bag.  Twist 
	bag closed tightly and hold top and bottom tightly while shaking bag 
	to mix spices.  Take (dampened) tomato slices and put in baggy with 
	cornmeal.  Shake again until all slices are covered.

	In a skillet, preheat 1/4" deep cooking oil on medium heat.  When 
	oil is hot, place slices in skillet.  Fry for about 3 to 5 minutes 
	on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. 

Friendship Starter/Bread/Cake
	This is one of those fad recipes.  There is nothing Amish in its 
	origin and it has several variations.  It's basically just a 
	gimmicky recipe for sourdough.

	Amish Friendship Starter

	1 package active dry yeast 	2 1/2 cups warm water   
	2 cups sifted flour 		1 tablespoon sugar

	Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water in a deep glass
	or plastic container.  Stir in remaining warm water, flour
	and sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Cover with loose fitting cover. 

	Friendship Cake

	1 cup starter 		2/3 cup oil
	3 eggs 			2 cups flour
	1 cup sugar 		2 teaspoons vanilla
	2 cups chopped fruit 	1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
	1/2 teaspoon salt 	2 teaspoons baking powder
	1 1/2 tsp baking soda 	1/2 cup nuts 

	Combine all ingredients until well mixed.

	Grease and flour a bundt or loaf pan.  Pour batter into pan and
	bake in preheated 350F oven 40 to 50 minutes or until cake tests
	done.

Fruits
	Durian

	Mangoes

Garlic/Baked garlic/Garlic bread
	Garlic lovers abound on rec.food.cooking.  The saying goes, 
	"There can never be too much garlic."  Too true.

General Tso's chicken
	General Tso's Chicken 

	3 tablespoons cornstarch 	1 egg, beaten
	1 lb chicken meat cut into 2 inch pieces
	1/4 cup sugar 			1/4 cup soy sauce  
	1/4 cup pineapple juice 	1/4 cup vinegar                  	
	1 clove garlic, minced 		1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced       	
	oil for deep frying 		6 dry whole red peppers        	
	2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
	4 green onions sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

	Combine cornstarch, egg, and chicken and stir to coat well.
	Combine sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, 
	and ginger.

	Heat oil in wok.  When very hot, add half of the chicken and 
	fry until crisp and cooked (should only take a few minutes).  
	Remove to drain on paper towels.  Reheat oil and cook remaining 
	chicken.  Remove all but 1 T oil and add red peppers.  Stir fry 
	quickly without burning.  Add sauce and stir until well-mixed 
	and sugar dissolves.  Add cornstarch mixture stirring until 
	thickened.  Return chick to wok with green onions.  Stir to coat 
	chicken, remove, and serve with rice.

Ginger, how to store
	Two most common methods are freezing or submerging in sherry
	or vodka.

Grits/Hominy/Cornmeal
	Hominy is made from corn kernals that have been soaked in lye.
	Grits are made when the hominy is ground into a cereal.  Grits 
	are a popular breakfast item in the Southern regions of the 
	United States, are usually served as a savoury dish.  Many 
	feel grits is an acquired taste.

	Cornmeal is ground corn and similar to polenta.  It's used to
	make cornbread, again a savoury dish popular in the Southern
	regions of the United States.

Gumbo

Gyros/Tzatziki
	How does one pronouce "gyro?"  The majority says it's similar to  
	"yeer-oh" with a rolled "r".

	Tzatziki

	1 quart plain yoghurt	 4 cloves garlic
	3 tablespoons olive oil	 1 tbsp white vinegar
	2 cucumbers

	Drain yoghurt by lining a strainer with cheesecloth and suspending 
	it over a bowl for about 1 hour.  

	Peel and seed cucumbers.  Grate them.  Salt them and drain for 30 
	minutes.  Squeeze out any excess liquid.

	In a medium bowl place crushed garlic.  Whisk in olive oil till 
	you have a thick paste.  Whisk in the vinegar.  Mix in the 
	yoghurt and cucumber.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Half and Half
	An American dairy product.  It's half cream, half milk, about 10%
	butterfat.  Comparable to single cream or light cream.

Holy Wars
	One of the things that sets rec.food.cooking apart is that it is
	remarkably civil and flame-free for a mainstream newsgroup.
	However, occasionally a topic will come up where the posters
	divide into two sharply opposed camps, each side tenaciously
	adhering to their position.  Two of these threads are mayonnaise 
	vs. Miracle Whip, and Coke vs. Pepsi.  Bring these up at your own 
	risk (I'm in the mayonnaise and Coke camps, myself).

Hot & Sour Soup
	Hot And Sour Soup 
 
	1/2 pound boneless pork	 3 tablespoons soy sauce
	8 dried lily buds	 4 dried cloud ears
	4 dried mushrooms	 6 cups chicken broth
	3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar	
	1/2 teaspoon pepper	 8 oz tofu
	1 tablespoon water	 1 tablespoon cornstarch
	1 beaten egg		 2 tablepoons thinly sliced green onion
 
	Partially freeze pork; cut pork into 1x1/4-inch strips.  Sprinkle 
	meat with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce. Meanwhile, in three bowls 
	soak lily buds, mushrooms, and tree ears in enough hot water to 
	cover for 30 minutes. Drain lily buds, mushrooms, and cloud ears. 
	Cut off and discard tough stem end of lily buds.  Slice each lily 
	bud into 1-inch lengths. Thoroughly rinse tree ears under running 
	water; drain well. Cut off and discard stems. Cut mushrooms and 
	cloud ears into thin strips.  In large saucepan bring chicken
	broth to boiling; stir in pork, the remaining soy sauce, lily buds, 
	mushrooms, cloud ears, rice wine vinegar and pepper. Simmer covered, 
	10 minutes.  Slice tofu into 1/4 inch wide strips. Add to soup simmer,
	covered, 3 minutes more. Blend water into cornstarch. Stir into soup.
	Pour egg slowly into hot soup in a thin stream, beating constantly 
	with fork till egg cooks and shreds finely. Cook soup till slightly 
	thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat. Stir in thinly sliced green 
	onion.

Hummus
	Hummus

	2-16 oz cans of chick peas	1/2 cup tahihi (sesame paste)
	1/2 cup lemon juice	 	2 cloves of garlic, peeled 
	cumin and salt to taste

	Mix in a food processor and blend until smooth.
	Serve with warm pita and cucumber and onion slices.

Ice cream/Sherbet/Sorbet
	Sherbet is so commonly misspelled (as 'sherbert'), that the
	misspelling now is considered to be correct due to common
	usage.

	Ice cream may be made with or without eggs.  If using eggs, the 
	custard may be cooked first.  Here is an eggless recipe.
 
	Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
 
	2 quarts half and half 	1/2 pint whipping cream
	1 1/2 cups sugar	4 teaspoons vanilla
	dash salt
 
	Mix all ingredients together and freeze it according to your 
	ice cream maker's instructions.

Jams, Jellies and Pectin
	Prevalent during canning season.  When stating ingredients, give
	more specific measurements than "a box of pectin."
	These topics are now covered by the newsgroup rec.food.preserving.

Jerky

Key Lime Pie
	Key limes are a mutation of a wild orange that grow in areas around
	the Caribbean.  They're known for being scarce, tho availability has 
	been increasing as of late.  They are small, round, yellow, very
	sour, and quite fragrant.  The pie itself is simple, just juice, 
	condensed milk and egg yolks.  Some people will bake this, but it's 
	not necessary.

	There are more elaborate variations on this theme, but this is the
	original recipe.  Key limes were so rare for so long that somewhere
	along the way, "Key lime pie" became a catch phrase for lime meringue 
	pie.  If you order Key lime pie someplace outside of Florida, it's 
	probably not made with real Key lime juice.  Don't be fooled by Key 
	lime "look-alike" bottled juices.  If it says "Key West Lime Juice," 
	or "Key Lime-Style Juice," it's probably not real Key lime juice.  

	Key Lime Pie

	1 can sweetened condensed milk
	1/2 cup fresh squeezed key lime juice (8 to 10 limes)
	4 egg yolks 

	Whip egg yolks and blend with condensed milk.  Add key lime juice, 
	mixing only until juice is mixed in.  Do not overbeat.

	Pour into a 9-inch baked pie shell or prepared graham cracker pie
	crust.  Chill until set (overnight is best).  Top with whipped
	cream if you like.

Kim Chee
	Kim Chee

	1 head Napa or Chinese cabbage 	3 tablespoons salt
	3 to 6 green onions, chopped 	1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
	1 teaspoon crushed dried hot red chile
	1 teaspoon chopped gingerroot

	Soak cabbage in salt water overnight in a cool location.  Remove 
	cabbage from water.  Mix cabbage, onions, salt, garlic, chile
	and gingerroot in a jar or other container with a tight fitting 
	lid.  Refrigerate for a couple of days. 

Knives  

Mole 
	A Mexican sauce (pronounced "moe-lay").  There are several kinds
	depending on the ingredients.  This is a black mole.

	Mole poblano

	4 chiles mulatos           4 chiles anchos                            
	4 chiles guajillos         4 chiles pasillas
	2 cups whole tomatoes      1 large onion                           
	4 garlic cloves            1/2 cup almonds
	1 plaintain banana         1/2 cup peanuts
	1 piece toasted bread      2 corn tortillas                            
	1 tablet abuelita chocolate 
	1/8 cup sesame seeds        Oil for frying 

	Devein chiles and remove seeds. Peel onion and cut in quarters. Cut
	plaintain banana in 1/4 inch pieces. 
	Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a pan and fry all ingredients in batches, 
	starting with the chiles and ending with the nuts, tomatoes and
	chocolate. As you fry all the ingredients, set them aside. 
	Puree them in a blender, thinning them with chicken broth. 
	Consistency should be fairly thick, but just thin enough to blend to 
	a smooth sauce.
	Cook over low flame for two hours, or until Mole turns a dark reddish 
	brown color. Serve over chicken or turkey, accompanied by Mexican 
	rice and corn tortillas. 

Muffins
	There are hundreds of muffin recipes in the rec.food.recipes 
	archives, mostly due to rec.food.cooking's very own muffin maven, 
	Dawn Scotting.

	American muffins are small, dense cakes, baked in a muffin
	tin (possibly similar to a popover tin?).  They commonly have
	fruits, vegetables and/or nuts in them and are popular for
	breakfast.

	Morning glory muffins
 
	2 1/4 cups flour         	1 1/4 cups sugar
	1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 	2 teaspoons baking soda
	1/2 teaspoon salt 		2 cups grated carrots 
	1 grated apple 			1/2 cup shredded coconut
	1/2 cup raisins 		1/2 cup pecans or walnuts
	1 8-counce can crushed pineapple, drained
	3 eggs 				1 cup vegetable oil
	1 teaspoon vanilla extract

	Into large bowl, sift together flour,sugar, cinnamon, baking soda 
	and salt.  Stir in carrots, apple, coconut, raisins, nuts and
	pineapple.  In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla. 
	Pour into bowl with dry ingredients; blend well.  Spoon batter into 
	16 muffin cups.  Fill about two-thirds full. Bake in a pre-heated 
	350F degree oven about 35 minutes.  

Netiquette
	Rather than go into a detailed explanation on netiquette, I'll 
	just provide a pointer and a brief explanation on why Usenet works.
	Usenet is an anarchy.  There is no central ruling force, and no 
	rules.  Usenet is also a community.  The reason it works so well 
	is because the majority of the users cooperate with each other.  

	There are a set of guidlelines known as "netiquette" that all 
	new users should know about.  Most users willingly follow these 
	guidelines (tho some flout them, which is different matter
	altogether).  If you are new to the net, it's a good idea to 
	familiarize yourself with these guidelines before posting to 
	rec.food.cooking or any other newsgroup.  They may be found in the 
	newsgroup news.announce.newusers, or archived at rtfm.mit.edu in 
	the directory /pub/usenet-by-group/news.announce.newusers.

	A suggestion: Read a new newsgroup for a minimum of one month before
	posting to it.  Every newsgroup develops its own character and
	conventions.  Reading it for a while first helps to get a feel for 
	these.  Another advantage to reading is you may find the answers
	to any questions have already been posted or discussed.  And always
	read the FAQs before posting.  Again, the answers to your questions
	may very well be in the FAQ.

Onions
	Avoiding crying while peeling

Pasta/Pasta makers
	Colored pasta dough

	These amounts should be enough to color about 1 1/2 pounds of 
	pasta dough, made with 3 to 4 cups of flour, 4 eggs and 2 tbsp 
	olive oil.  You might need to add a little bit of extra flour to 
	compensate for the extra moisture from the vegetables.

	Green pasta.  Parboil 1/2 pound of spinach for about two minutes 
	or chard for five minutes.  Drain, rinse in cold water and squeeze 
	the leaves as dry as possible.  Puree the spinach or chard through 
	a sieve or food mill, or chop it fine by hand or with a food 
	processor.  With a fork, combine the spinach or chard with the 
	pasta ingredients.  Knead, and roll out.

	Speckled green pasta.  Trim, wash, pat dry and chop fine about 6
	tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs: parsley, sorrel, thyme, sage 
	leaves, tarragon, lovage, marjoram, basil, dandelion, rocket, hyssop 
	and tender savory shoots are all suitable.  However, the strong 
	herbs -- thyme, sage, savory, marjoram and tarragon -- do not blend 
	well with some others, so choose your herb mixture carefully.  Stir 
	the herbs into the dough ingredients with a fork.  Knead and roll out.

	Red/pink pasta.  Boil two small unpeeled beets in salted water for 
	forty minutes to one hour or until tender.  Peel and chop the beets, 
	then puree them in a food processor.  Stir the beet puree into the 
	pasta dough ingredients before kneading the dough and rolling it out.

	Orange pasta.  Stir about 1/4 cup of well-reduced tomato sauce or 
	pureed tomato into pasta dough ingredients.  Knead and roll out.

	Yellow pasta.  Add a pinch of ground saffron to the flour and salt 
	for the pasta dough.  Mix well.  Stir in the eggs and oil.  Knead 
	and roll out.

Pad Thai
	Pad Thai

	12 ounces rice noodles 		4 tablespoons vegetable oil
	2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
	1 medium onion, finely chopped 	1/2 pound shrimp
	2 tablespoons tomato paste 	2 teaspoons sugar
	1 tablespoon fish sauce (Nam Pla)
	2 tablespoons lemon juice or tamarind water
	2 eggs, beaten 			1/4 pound bean sprouts
	2 tablspoons peanuts, coarsely ground

	Garnish
	2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
	1 lemon, cut into wedges
	1 red chile, seeded and thinly chopped

	Put rice noodles into a large bowl & cover with very hot water, 
	then set aside for 10 minutes.  Drain, rinse with cold water.

	Heat the oil in a large wok or saucepan, add the garlic and the 
	onion. Stir fry  until the onion softens.  Add the prawns and heat 
	through.  Stir in the tomato paste, sugar, fish sauce and lemon 
	juice.  Pour in the beaten eggs, give them 2 - 3 minutes, and then 
	stir them into the mixture. Add the noodles, half the bean sprouts 
	and all the peanuts, mix well & toss & stir until the noodles are 
	heated through. 

	Turn onto a serving dish. Place remaining beansprouts on one side 
	of the noodles, then garnish with the coriander, lemon & chile.

Pesto
	Pesto freezes well.  Freeze in ice cube trays, then put the
	cubes in plastic freezer bags.

	Pesto 
  
	2 cups fresh basil leaves firmly packed
	1/4 cup oil	 1/4 cup pine nuts  
	2 cloves garlic	 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese  
  
	Combine all ingredients in a processor or blender, process 
	until smooth.  

Pierogi

Pizza 
	Dough
	Sauce 
	Toppings 
	Restaurants

Potatoes
	French fries
		Dipping fries in mayo
		Crispy fries, how to make
		These are called "chips" in England. Australia and New Zealand
	Hash browns
	Perfect mashed potatoes
	Sweet potatoes vs. yams

Potato Salad
	Potato Salad

	4 cups cubed cooked potatoes            1 cup mayonnaise
	4 hard boiled eggs, chopped             1 teaspoon prepared mustard
	1/2 cup chopped onion                   1/2 teaspoon celery seed
	1/2 cup chopped celery 			1/2 teaspoon salt
	1 tablespoon vinegar			1/8 teaspoon pepper
	1/2 cup chopped sweet or dill pickle    

	Combine mayonaise, mustard, celery seed, vinegar, salt and 
	pepper; mix well.  Then combine potatoes, eggs, onion, celery 
	and pickle.  Add dressing to potato mixture; mix lightly.  Chill.

Poutine
	A dish that originated in Quebec, Canada.  It consists of
	french fries (chips) mixed with cheese curds, smothered with
	brown gravy.

Puttanesca 
	Putttanesca alla Penne

	8 garlic cloves, minced 	1 teaspoon dried pepper flakes
	2 tablespoons olive oil 	1/3 cup minced fresh parsley 
	4 roma tomatoes, chopped 	5 flat anchovy fillets, drained 
	20 Greek black olives, chopped 	2 teaspoons drained capers 	
	1 pound penne 			freshly grated Romano or Parmesan

	In a skillet cook the garlic and the red pepper flakes in the oil 
	over moderately low heat, stirring, for 20 seconds, stir in the 
	parsley, and cook the mixture for 10 seconds.  Add the tomatoes 
	with the juice and cook the mixture over moderate heat for one
	minute.  Add the anchovies, the olives, and the capers and cook 
	the sauce, stirring, for 2 minutes.  In a pot of boiling salted 
	water cook the pasta until it is al dente, drain it, and in a bowl 
	toss it with the sauce.  Sprinkle the pasta with the Romano.  

Raclette
	A Swiss cheese delicacy.  There is some confusion over whether
	raclette refers to a specific type of cheese or to the dish itself.
	(At this writing, I'm not too sure myself).

	Raclette

	Light a good fire.  Buy yourself a half wheel of real Raclette 
	cheese, preferably from the Valais, between three and five months 
	old.  Scrape off the rind, top and bottom, so that the cheese can 
	melt more easily.  Prepare boiled potatoes in their skins and have 
	a ready supply of gherkins or cornichons, pickled onions and black 
	pepper.  When the fire died to a mass of glowing embers, procure 
	yourself a large flat stone and put it before the fire.  Set the 
	half cheese on top, its cut surface exposed to the heat.  Nearby 
	have a supply of plates.  As the cheese melts, scrape it off on to 
	a plate and serve it at once.  

Red Beans and Rice
	Do not confuse red beans with kidney beans.  Red beans may be 
	labelled "small red beans" or "small red chili beans" and kidney 
	beans as "large red beans."  You can make red beans and rice with 
	kidney beans (or other types of beans) but it won't taste the same.

      	Red beans and rice

	1 pound red beans 	1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage, sliced
	1/2 pound smoked ham shanks
	1 large onion, chopped 	1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
	1 celery stalk, chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
	1 teaspoon dried thyme 	1 teaspoon ground pepper 	
	1/2 teaspoon sage 	1 bay leaf
	Pinch of red pepper 	Salt

	Soak beans overnight.  Drain, place in large pot and cover with
	water.  Add all remaining ingredients to beans except salt and 
	rice.  Bring to boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low, 
	cover, and simmer until beans are tender, adding more water if 
	necessary.  Add salt to taste.  Remove ham bones.  Mash down on
	about 1/3 of the beans with a potato masher (beans should have a
	creamy texture).  Simmer 15 more minutes and then serve hot over 
	rice.

Recipe Program Software
	Mastercook and other programs may be found via anonymous ftp
	at oak.oakland.edu in the directory /pub/msdos/food.

	There is a Master Cook mailing list.  Send the command
	"subscribe mastercook" to [email-masked].

	There is also a Meal Master mailing list.  It may be subscribed
	to at: [email-masked].

	There is another Meal Master mailing list.  To subscribe to it,
	send email to: [email-masked].

Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits
	Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits

	1 teaspoon garlic powder 	1 tablespoon parsley flakes
	1 teaspoon Italian seasonings 	5 pounds Bisquick
	44 ounces cold water 		1 pound grated sharp cheddar
	1/2 cup butter
 
	Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix bisquick, water and cheese. Drop 
	by large spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 
	After baking, while still hot, brush on melted butter mixed with 
	garlic powder, parsley flakes and Italian seasoning.  Serve hot. 
  
	For a smaller batch, use 2 cups Bisquick, 1/2 cup cold water, and 
	3/4 cup grated cheddar which will yield about 12 biscuits.
	You may also substitute soda water or gingerale for the water.

Rice cookers/Cooking rice/Rinsing rice

Roasted Whole Pig 

Rum Cake
	This recipe is popular during the holiday season.

	Rum Cake

	1 package Duncan Hines Golden Butter Cake Mix
	3 eggs 		1/2 cup vegetable oil
	1/2 cup rum 	1/2 cup water
	1 small package of instant vanilla pudding
	1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

	Grease heavily and flour a bundt pan.  Sprinkle nuts on bottom of 
	pan.  Mix all ingredients and pour into pan over nuts.  Bake at 325F
	for 50-60 minutes.  While the cake is baking, make the glaze. 

	Glaze
	1 stick butter	1/4 cup rum 	1 cup sugar

	Put glaze ingredients in a small pan and boil for 2 minutes.  Pour 
	glaze on the cake immediately upon removing from oven.  Let cool in 
	pan for twenty minutes before turning out.

Salsa
	Salsa means simply "sauce."  Salsa may be cooked or raw, chunky
	or smooth, made from chiles or tomatoes or even fruit.  Picante
	means "spicy" and is not a salsa but a word used to describe salsa.  
	This one is a tomatillo salsa.

	Ninfa's Green Sauce

	3 medium sized green tomatoes, coarsely chopped
	4 tomatillos, cleaned and chopped
	1 to 2 jalapenos, stemmed and coarsely chopped
	3 garlic cloves 	3 medium-sized ripe avocados
	4 sprigs cilantro 	1 teaspoon salt
	1 1/2 cups imitation sour cream

	Combine chopped tomoatoes, tomatillos, jalapenos and garlic 
	in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil (tomatoes provide all the liquid), 
	reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.  
	Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

	Peel, pit and slice avocados; set aside.  Place tomato mixture with 
	part of the avocados (do this in batches), cilantro and salt in food 
	processor and process until smooth.  Turn into a large bowl.  Stir 
	in sour cream, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Serve with 
	tortilla chips.

Satay
	Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
 
	1 tablespoon light brown sugar 	1 tablespoon curry powder
	2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
	1/2 cup soy sauce 		1/2 cup fresh lime juice
	2 garlic cloves, minced 	Crushed dried chile peppers

	6 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips

	Peanut sauce
	2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter 	1 1/2 cups coconut milk
	1/4 cups fresh lemon juice 	2 tablespoons soy sauce
	2 tablespoons brown sugar 	1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
 	4 garlic cloves, minced 	

	1/4 cup chicken broth 		1/4 cup heavy cream 		
	Cayenne pepper 			Grated lime zest 		
	Fresh cilantro sprigs
 
	To make the marinade, combine the first 7 ingredients in a shallow
	dish. Thread the chicken strips onto bamboo skewers.  Place the 
	skewers into the soy sauce mixture and let marinate in the 
	refrigerator at least 2 hours.
  
	Make the peanut sauce by combining the next 7 ingredients in a 
	saucepan.  Season to taste with cayenne pepper.  Cook over 
	moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is as thick 
	as heavy cream (about 15 minutes).  Transfer to a food processor 
	and pure briefly.  Add chicken broth and cream and blend until 
	smooth. 
  
	Prepare moderate-hot charcoal coals or preheat a broiler.  Cook the 
	skewered chicken, turning several times and basting with the marinade, 
	until crispy on the outside but still moist on the inside, about 8 
	minutes.  Sprinkle grilled chicken with lime zest and garnish with 
	cilantro leaves.  Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.

Sourdough
	There's a newsgroup devoted to this topic, rec.food.sourdough.

Tira Mi Su  
	An Italian Cheese Charlotte, the name means "Pick me up".
	Widely popular dessert that people can't leave alone.  Has many
	variations, including eggless, with cooked eggs, liquorless,
	and with substitutes for the marscapone (tho common consensus
	claims there is no comparable substitute). 

	Tira Mi Su  

	24 ladyfingers, toasted in a 375-degree oven for 15 minutes
	2 cups espresso coffee 		6 eggs, separated
	3 to 6 tablespoons sugar 	1 pound mascarpone
	2 tablespoons Marsala wine 	2 tablespoons Triple Sec
	2 tablespoons brandy	 	2 tablespoons orange extract
	8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

	Arrange the ladyfingers on a plate and lightly soak them with the
	cooled espresso.  Put half of the soaked ladyfingers in one layer
	in a rectangular serving dish.  While the ladyfingers are soaking,
	beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the yolks turn pale in
	color.  Add the mascarpone, the liquors, and the extract, and stir
	gently.

	In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a wire whisk until
	they are stiff.  Gently fold the whites into the mascarpone
	mixture.  

	Use half of this mixture to make a layer on top of the ladyfingers
	in the serving dish.  Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate. 
	Repeat the procedure with another layer of soaked ladyfingers, the
	mascarpone mixture, and chocolate.  Cover with tin foil and
	refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.    

Truffles, chocolate

Vegetables
	Eggplant

	Mushrooms

	Zucchini

Zest
	The colored part of the rinds of citrus fruits, without the
	bitter, white pith.  There are little gadgets, not surprisingly
	called "zesters," that make it a snap to remove the zest.
-- 
Stephanie da Silva 				PO Box 720711
[email-masked] 				Houston, TX  77272
Moderator, rec.food.recipes